Authentic Kashmiri Dishes Served at Top Restaurants in Jammu

Kashmir doesn’t just satisfy the ocular senses by serving the most heavenly views of the valley but also satiates the taste buds by offering mouth-watering dishes. Authentic Kashmiri dishes are extremely flavorful and savory. They incorporate the use of many local exotic spices that lend certain richness to the food. The top restaurants in Jammu serve the most authentic version of Kashmiri dishes that are cooked in every Kashmiri household.

Today, we will take you on a journey to discover the rich flavours of Kashmir specialfood. Listed below are the best authentic Kashmiri dishes that you must try in top restaurants in Jammu.

Take a look:

Non-vegetarian dishes: Kashmir has gained a good reputation in the culinary world for preparing some of the most delicious non-vegetarian dishes. Here are the best meat-based Kashmiri dishes:

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Rogan Josh

Talk about Kashmiri dishes and talk about Rogan Josh. It is one of the most popular Kashmiri dishes that are relished in every corner of the country. It is a lamb dish that carries an intoxicating aroma and enchanting flavours. Rogan Josh is a Mughlai dish that made its way to India with the Mughals.

Lamb is cooked with brown onions, yogurt, and many ambrosial spices. It is cooked for hours so that the spices seep in the lamb. Some also add the dried flowers of cockscomb plant to give a deep red colour to the gravy to make it visually appealing. A low-fat dish, the top restaurants in Jammu serve it with naan or rice.

·         Yakhni or Yoghurt Lamb Curry

Yakhni is a Kashmir special food. It is basically a lamb that is cooked in yogurt along with some aromatic spices. The spices that give a delectable flavour and amazing texture to the yogurt-based gravy include onion paste, mawal flower, dry mint leaves, fennel seeds, and green, as well as black cardamom. It is eaten with rice.

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Gushtaba

Gushtaba is one of the most palatable Kashmiri dishes loved by hardcore non-vegetarians. Minced mutton balls are cooked in savory yogurt-based gravy. Many spices are added to bring out a lingering flavor. The most interesting thing about this special Kashmiri dish is its preparation. The meat is beaten using a walnut hammer in order to add distinct flavours and texture to the meat. Salt and fat are added to it to enhance the overall taste. Gushtaba is a royal dish, which is made on festivities and other occasions.

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Shab Degh

It is a spicy dish made of minced lamb and turnip. The flavour of turnip with minced meat is simply lip-smacking. This dish is served with hot chapattis.

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Rista

Another lamb-based dish that is extensively cooked in Kashmiri kitchens, as well as restaurants, is Rista. Little lamb dumplings made with minced meat are cooked in chilli, saffron, and onion gravy. Before cooking the dumplings in gravy, they are poached in turmeric water. Small lamb dumplings in onion, chilli, and saffron gravy.

·         Tabak Maaz

An authentic Kashmiri meal is literally incomplete without Tabak Maaz. It is made of the front ribs of a goat, particularly fatty goat. The ribs are poached in fennel seeds, various spices, and floral essence.

Once poached, the ribs are seared in lots of ghee. They are unbelievably tasty.

Vegetarian Dishes: Kashmiris don’t just make non-vegetarian food. Their culinary skills also extend to vegetarian dishes. Let’s see what all delicious vegetarian dishes are cooked at top restaurants in Jammu.

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  Dum Olav

This vegetarian dish is made with potatoes. It is popularly known as Dum Aaloo and is cooked in other parts of the country, as well. Thick gravy of yogurt, fennel, ginger powder, and many other hot spices cover the small potatoes. It tastes best with naan and chapattis.

·         Lyodur Tschaman

Another popular and extremely delicious vegetarian dish which is a staple of Kashmir is Lyodur Tschaman. Cottage cheese is cooked in a thick and creamy gravy including turmeric.

This dish is truly sumptuous. The top restaurants in Jammu serve the tastiest Lyodur Tschaman.

·         Veth Chaman

Veth Chaman is a paneer-based Kashmir special food. This dish is an inception of Kashmiri Pandits and is extensively made in Sonmarg. It has always been a favourite dish in every Kashmiri household.

It is cooked in mustard oil. Curd, milk, and lots of spices give it a unique flavour. Surprisingly, onion and garlic are not used in this dish. Despite that, it is one of the most delicious Kashmiri dishes.

·         Kashmiri Haakh

Kashmiri haakh is the traditional collard green dish.

Kashmiri collard green, which grows in lake water, is used to make this dish. The distinct bitter sharp taste of this dish is its highlight. The sharp flavour is toned down with the addition of lots of fennel seeds.

Desserts: Now that you know the best non-vegetarian and vegetarian dishes, let us move to desserts. These authentic Kashmiri desserts are purely fantastic. Never leave your table without tasting any of these sweet dishes of Kashmir.

·         Shufta

Shufta is cooked on auspicious occasions and festivities. Lots of rich dry fruits and cottage cheese (paneer) are mixed together and coated with sugar syrup and various spices to give it a distinct flavor.

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Modur Pulav

Modur pulav is sweet Kashmiri rice that is flavoured with cinnamon, saffron, clarified butter (ghee), sugar, and milk. It is then garnished with a generous dose of dry fruits including almonds, raisin, and cashew nuts. Green cardamom is also added to enhance the flavour.

Beverages: One of the most popular Kashmiri beverages is Kashmiri Kahwa. It is not just popular in Kashmir but across the whole world.

·         Kahwa

Authentic Kashmiri Kahwa is basically a kind of tea. Green tea is steeped with saffron and cardamom. If you ever visit Kashmir, you must make it a point to enjoy the authentic Kashmiri Kahwa.

Kashmiri flavours are distinct and very piquant. Whenever you visit Kashmir, dine at the toprestaurants in Jammu and have as many authentic Kashmiri dishes as possible to make the most of your trip.

Best Places to Visit near Katra

Katra Vaishno Devi or simply Katra is a very popular town in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir. Nestled in the foothills of the giant Trikuta Mountains, this small town is a religious destination of Hindus. It is the place where Vaishno Devi’s holy shrine is situated. It is frequented by the pilgrims all year round. It is the base camp for the tourists who visit the Goddess Vaishno Devi temple. There are many other beautiful tourist spots located in this town that gain the fancy of tourists across the country. If you are soon to offer a visit to Katra to seek the blessings of Ma Vaishno Devi, let us tell you about the best places to visit near Katra.

Let’s take a look:

·         Vaishno Devi Temple

Katra is the home to the very popular Vaishno Devi Mandir which is the second most visited temple in the country only after Tirumala Venkateswara Temple. The shrine is also popularly called Mata Rani or Vaishnavi. If numbers are to be believed, this holy place is visited by more than eight million pilgrims per year. 

There are many famous legends associated with this holy shrine. Legends say that it is the exact place where Ma Vaishno Devi’s eternal energy concentrated and taken adobe. It is believed that Mata Sati’s skull fell at this very place during self-immolation. Some legends also state that her right arm fell here. A stone hand is indeed present inside the cave which is believed to offer blessings and boons.

Perched at an altitude of about 5300 feet, this temple is sheer beauty. The original cave access to Pindis or the natural rock formation is breathtaking. The original entrance can be accessed only during festivities.

·         Bhairon Temple

If you plan to return home after seeking blessings of Mata Vaishno Devi, you must change your plan. Bhairon Temple is another holy place to visit in Katra. The temple sits on the highest point to the neighboring hill. Situated at an altitude of 6,619 ft, you would need to climb a very steep hill to reach the shrine. You can cover the distance on foot or by palanquins or ponies.

Just like Vaishno Devi, Bhairon Temple also has some legends associated with it. It is said that Ma Vaishno Devi killed Bhairon Nath and later gave him a boon of being the pilgrimage’s last link.

Inside the temple, you will see natural rock formations. According to the legends, Bhairon Nath’s head fell at that place when Mata Rani killed him, while the body remained at the cave’s entrance.

·         Darshani Darwaza

Darshani Deodhi or Darshani Darwaza is counted amongst the best places to visit near Katra. It is the entry gate to the Vaishno Devi temple. This place provides the entire view of the gorgeous Trikuta Mountain.

Darshani Darwaza is not merely a gate to the temple. It also has a famous legend attached to it. According to the legend, it is the place where Mata Rani met Pandit Sridhar in the form of a little girl.

Darshani Darwaza comprises of two gates; the older one leads to a staircase, while the newer one has a porch with parking space.

·         Himkoti

One of the most sought-after places to visit near Katra is Himkoti. This is basically a viewpoint from where you can savour the picturesque beauty of the entire valley.

An artificial pond, a beautiful garden, and a meditation centre offer a place to the tourists to relax and appreciate the beauty of nature. There are many good restaurants here where you can have a sumptuous meal. However, if you want the real taste of Kashmiri non-vegetarian food, you would need to take a long drive to reach Jammu. The best restaurants in Jammu serve delicious non-vegetarian food. While in Karta, non-vegetarian food and alcohol are banned.

·         Jhajjar Kotli

Another tourist spot near Katra is Jhajjar Kotli. It is 15 km from Katra on the National Highway 1A.

Jhajjar Kotli is constructed on the bank of river Jhajjar. It is a very popular picnic spot. People visit here to soak in the scenic beauty.

·         Ardh Kuwari Cave

While on the way to the Vaishno Devi temple, midway you will reach Ardh Kuwari Cave. It is a stopover for pilgrims visiting the main shrine. This place also has a grand shrine dedicated to Goddess Kali, Goddess Laxmi, and Goddess Saraswati.

Legend has that Goddess Vaishno reached the cave while hiding from a malevolent sage. She spent nine months inside the narrow cave. When Bhairav Nath discovered about the cave, Ma Vaishno created an opening using her trident at cave’s other end. She beheaded Bhairav Nath when he followed him.

·         Banganga River

Banganga river is said to be created by Goddess Durga while she was on her way to the cave. She created it with an arrow from the quiver. The holy river holds great spiritual importance. The river has two ghats where the pilgrims going to Ma Vaishno Devi temple take a dip before visiting the main shrine.

·         ISKCON Temple

ISKCON Temple or Sri Radha Parthasarathi Mandir is also one of the best places to visit in Katra. It is dedicated to Lord Krishna and Radharani.

Though the temple is always visited by tourists from across the country, the numbers sore around festivities like Rama Navami, Gaura Purnima, Govardhan Puja, and Janmashtami, and Radhastami.

If you have any plan to visit Katra, you must postpone it and visit around any of these festivities to enjoy the real fervour.

·         Baba Dhansar

Located across the Karua Jheel is Baba Dhansar’s holy shrine. It is believed that Baba Dhansar prayed to Lord Shiva to kill all the demons that lived near the pond. This shrine is visited by many pilgrims throughout the year.

Just like the shrine, the pond also holds sacred importance. Though bathing is not entertained in the pond, the devotees bathe further downstream. They believe that bathing in the holy water will wash their sins away.

If you want to visit this temple, you must visit here on Mahashivratri, as it is celebrated with great zeal.

These are the best places to visit near Katra.